A landmark change in women's football transfers has been announced by the FA to close a loophole that saw young players move on free transfers.
From now on WSL and Women's Championship clubs will receive a fee if a player is poached from their academy by a rival outfit. Teams in the WSL will receive £5,000 for every year the player has spent in the clubs' youth system, if signed by a fellow top flight club.
Compensation will only be paid when a player is signed by another team from the top two tiers of the women's game. Previously players who transferred teams under the age of 18 would move without a transfer fee, as young female players could not sign a professional contract until they turned 18.
